The New 'Beach Read' is Set at The Four Seasons New York

May 28, 2010 at 12:15 PM | by MsRebecca | Comments (0)

Looking for a good summer read to throw in your carry-on? The premise of this new book, out on June 8, is perfect for hotel geeks: Based Upon Availability chronicles the (mostly lonely) lives of a group of New Yorkers, who are all loosely connected by their stays at the Four Seasons New York. The hotel's manager is the book's main protagonist, but we get to see each character's story told through both her eyes and their own. Author and journalist Alix Strauss has traveled extensively over the course of her career and says she has "a love affair with hotels." Here, she shares some her favorites.

HotelChatter: What are the main things you look for in a hotel room?

Alix Strauss: I really love free internet. If you're spending up to $300 or even $600 a night, the internet should absolutely be free. I love that the Andaz Hotels have the free in-room minibar. And I like forward-thinking hotels like The Liberty Hotel in Boston. I like a hotel that makes me feel pampered.

HC: What are your hotel turn offs?

AS: I hate a small room. You don't want to feel claustrophobic or�if you're a man�feel like you could pee from your bed. And the room must be clean. If you're sleeping in socks and a shower cap, that's no good.

HC: Why did you choose the Four Seasons as the setting for your book?

AS: The first time I went into the hotel I just fell in love with it. It's so luxurious, and there's a great name recognition from the staff. But it's a large hotel so there is also the chance for anonymity. You can be anyone from anywhere. I loved idea of seeing each of my characters behind closed doors.

HC: Any other favorite hotels?

AS: I recently stayed at the Flemings Hotel in London, and it was so British and so civilized. In New York, I love The Surrey, which has that old Upper East Side feel but with a Chanel-esque modern edge. And in New Orleans, I stayed at the W New Orleans French Quarter. It was very much a W but with a New Orleans flair.

HC: What is it about hotels that makes them so special?

AS: It's an escape. You get to feel high end and pretty. Like at the Four Seasons, where the tub fills in 60 seconds. I don't have that at home. I like what George Bernard Shaw said about hotels: "The great advantage of a hotel is that it is a refuge from home life."

HotelChatter

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